127. The world’s oppressor 274 Betsy Gaskins (DIMICRAT). -------------- CHAPTER I. JOBE SETS AND STUDIES. MISTUR EDITURE:—My name is Betsy Gaskins. I was born a Dimicrat. My father was a Dimicrat and my mother dident dare to be anything else—out loud. Our family, thus, was of one mind, perlitically, until Jobe Gaskins begin to come to see me. I was a young woman of nineteen summers, as the poit would say. Jobe he was a Republican and “didn’t keer who knowed it.” My folks opposed Jobe on perlitical grounds. Jobe he opposed my folks on the same grounds, but hankered arter me, though he knode I was a “Dimicrat dide in the wool.” And I must say I hankered arter Jobe, though I knode he was a rank Republican. On that one pint we agreed: we both hankered. Well, the time come when Jobe and me decided to lay aside our perlitical feelins and git married. This our folks opposed, but we “slid out” one day, and the preacher united the two old parties, as far as Jobe and me was concerned, though I was still a Dimicrat, and Jobe he was still a Republican. Like the two great perlitical parties at Washington, when they want to make a law to suit Wall Street, Jobe and me decided to pull together on the question of gittin married. We have lived together for nigh onto thirty-five years, and durin all that time Jobe has let me be a Dimicrat, and Ive let him be a Republican. It has never caused any family disturbance nor never will, so long as I be a Dimicrat and let Jobe be a Republican. We have no children livin. Our little Jane was taken from us just arter her seventh birthday. Since then we have been left alone together, jist as we was before little Jane was born. It is awful lonesome, and as we grow older, lonesomer it gits. Sometimes, when I git my work all done and have nothin to okepy my mind, I git that lonesome, I hardly know what to do. Of late years I read a great deal to pass away the time. Jobe he hardly ever reads any, not because he cant,—Jobe is a good reader,—but it seems the poor man works so hard, and has so much to trouble him, that he would jist rather set and study than to read. When he gits his day’s work done and his feedin, and waterin, and choppin of wood, he jist seems to enjoy settin and studyin. I hardly ever disturb him when he is at it. I jist set and read or set and knit, as the case may be, and let Jobe set and study.